Look for revenue before raising taxes

In response to “Calif. lawmakers give raises to staff” (July 21): Up to 10 percent pay raises for Sacramento legislative staff while other state employees either lose their jobs or are required to take furlough days off resulting in pay cuts. Instead of being grateful to retain their jobs at generous salaries and benefits, the greed in Sacramento could not be [suppressed] any longer and the salary increases were approved.

In November we will be asked to approve an initiative to increase our taxes so revenue can be generated to pay the deficit created by these very same legislators. Since no one in Sacramento can say no to the spending, perhaps we should say no to their request for a tax increase. If the Park Service can conceal nearly $54 million from Sacramento, perhaps there are other sources of revenue in state government Sacramento can look to for increased revenue before asking the taxpayer to sacrifice more!

Rick Cummings

Chula Vista

Chula Vista bayfront: a 50-year mission

Your articles on the Chula Vista bayfront plan (July 12) have left me with a touch of nostalgia. I believe that, about 50 years ago, Harvey Furgatch and I were the originators of the plan to remake the bayfront.

Control over this vast area was divided between the Chula Vista City Council and the port district board. I prevailed upon the City Council to rezone the area and Harvey did the same with the port district.

Harvey and I envisioned in its stead a huge public playland with athletic facilities, maybe even a small stadium, a theater, museums, restaurants, compatible shops and waterfront walks.

A half-century later in what appears to be the final plan there will be a waterfront walk, but also 10 multistory buildings for commercial interests and a huge plethora of waterfront homes; nobody without big bucks need apply.

Lowell Blankfort

San Diego

Cycling and safety

In response to “Until drivers start sharing road, there’ll be more ghost bikes” (Local, July 20): Any memorial beside the road is a good reminder to obey traffic laws. This goes for bikers, too. I live in an area where I have to cross a bike path to access the main road, and there is a yield sign for bikers which 99 percent simply ignore. Their attitude seems to be one of owning the streets without a care for any person unlucky enough to have to drive in their space. A good solution to this problem would be to have bicycle owners go through bike safety, including traffic laws.

If they want us to share the road (and I am more than happy to do that), they should be willing to be educated in the rules, and be willing to share with cars, too. All of the protesting and memorials will not change the statistics; only courteous behavior and compliance with traffic laws will lower the number of deaths.

Kathy McKinley

Coronado

Thank you for the article “Whose road is it anyway?” (SD In Depth, July 22). As a longtime bicyclist, I often see dangerous and irresponsible behavior by bike riders, and can easily understand the negative attitudes of some drivers toward bicyclists.

On the other hand, I have found that if the bicyclist is riding properly, following the laws and being courteous, the vast majority of car drivers are respectful and courteous in return. What goes around, comes around.

The bike safety courses you mentioned by the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition are excellent. I’ve taken two of them, and I’m a significantly safer, more confident bike rider as a result. I highly recommend them.

John Jenstad

San Diego

Fold Scouts’ tents in park

Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America’s secret committee has made a decision that will no longer allow all boys into membership (“Scouts reaffirm ban on gays,” July 18). Many children are now denied the benefits of Scouting. They have a right to decide to openly practice discrimination and they seem to be willing to suffer the consequences of that decision.

Therefore, a right they no longer have is to use public funds, or land, to support their activities. It is now time for them to leave Balboa Park. Let the lawsuit against their use of the park go forward to a speedy conclusion.

Mike Cooney

San Diego

‘Tolerant’ talk

In the July 22 “SD In Depth” section you had an article, “How tolerant is San Diego?,” triggered by an Atlantic magazine blog poll on tolerance in U.S. cities.

I was very glad to see that we ranked high in the country, but I was made uncomfortable by the use of the word “tolerant.” To me, it suggests a sense of superiority, that one person or group will put up with another, will endure their presence, rather than that they accept them as being equally welcome in their society.

I looked it up in my dictionary and found that its meaning is broader and that it reflects acceptances of differences. But, I still find the common use of the term, in the social sense, disrespectful of those being “tolerated.”

I wish there were a better term, suggesting contentment with diversity, but I haven’t come up with a succinct one.

Sally Billig

Cardiff

A kids’ stimulus program

In response to “Summertime is no time to let kids go” (Editorial, July 23): I applaud this text because it clearly asserts the problem at hand: Children are getting lazier and more unhealthy during the summer.

My sister is 8 and my parents constantly force her to be active throughout her day. Not only that, but they have her reading and working on exercises in order for her brain to be stimulated all year round. What is sad is that parents just assume children will do these things on their own, but it’s obvious that the children need to be pushed.

Summer is definitely when “parents must be on duty.” If they aren’t, they are only contributing to their child’s unhealthiness and lack of stimulation. This is not only unfair to the parent, but to the child as well. This is only one step to helping America become a healthier country.